The present invention relates to a drive for a coin feeding belt in a coin handling machine which is adapted to effect the coin sorting, counting, packing and other operations.
In such a coin handling machine, coins are placed on a rotary disc. When the rotary disc is rotated to create a centrifugal force, the force causes the coins to be inducted into a coin passageway wherein the coins are engaged by a feed belt to deliver them from the coin passageway. The feed belt is set to have a desired gap relative to the top face of the coin passageway at a sub-sorting ring portion before reaching the coin passageway, the gap corresponding to the thickness of one coin to be handled. The feed belt is movable with the cover of the transmission when it is opened or closed. Thus, any malfunction such as jamming of the coins on the coin passageway can be dealt with.
Generally, the feed belt has been driven by transmitting drive power from a motor to the drive pulley of the feed belt through a transmission belt or gearing within the cover. With the transmission belt system, a belt is tensioned to form a triangle with one side engaged by a drum arranged coaxially with said drive pulley to drive the transmission belt or to transmit the drive power to said drive pulley. With the gearing system, a gear rotatable coaxially with said drive pulley is interposed into the transmission system.
The prior art coin handling machine as aforementioned has many disadvantages. First, the machine is complicated in construction. Second, the machine requires a suitable pressurizing mechanism to prevent the drum and gear from slipping and the power being transmitted unevenly. And, the machine is not durable due to the fact that the tension on the transmission belt is not constant.